Great Picture Quality, Horrible Android TV.

A1E 01/03/2018 by pduncan1963 (USA)

I have to say that this has the picture on this television is outstanding. Great pure blacks, great color, great contrast. But that is where my praises end.
I have to say the Android operating system used Sony uses to run this thing is horrible. When scrolling through the menu, there is at least a 2 second lag from the button push to action on the screen. Adjusting volume and changing the channel with the built in tuner give the same horrible lag. The Netflix, Amazon and HBO Go apps all respond slowly and buffer way too often when playing 4K video (as compared to Apple TV side by side.)
The horrible Android TV operating system really really tempers the enjoyment of the stellar picture quality. It's really a shame. I wanted to love this television. The picture, yes.... .everything else. Big fat NOPE.

179 Customer Reviews

Excellent picture. Poor usability.

A1E 23/05/2018 by Richard99 (Canada)

(Review of Bravia 55A1E after 5 weeks)
The picture quality is simply amazing. Not only is 4K content superb, HD is excellent --it does an excellent job of up-converting from HD. No problem with the sound either.
As a [large!] 4k monitor it is perfect; as a “smart TV”, though, I have issues with it.
The streaming content choices are severely lacking. Some are built in, such as UTube and Netflix; others are loaded through Google Play Store. Therein lies a major problem. Many are unavailable, such as Acorn TV and Britbox. (While both appear in the Google Play website they required Android 4.2 and so cannot be loaded on this TV which has version 4.1.)
I was able to load MHzChoice and sometimes it works sometimes fails. Even worse was Fandor that is so limited as to be unusable, one cannot search by genre for example. By attaching a Roku box all 4 of these services are usable and are breathtaking! The downside (apart from paying for additional hardware) is you now have two remote controls to use: one for controls like pausing and one for volume.
There are a few other annoyances I find. It has Bluetooth capability and it paired with my Evantree headphones without a problem. But each time enabling them (going from TV speakers to headphones) is a lengthy and cumbersome process; it takes 27 presses on the remote control to connect.
The home screen has a lot of clutter that there doesn’t seem to be a way of removing.
When wall mounted, attaching hdmi cables or USB devices is awkward. It is also strangely hampered by the identifying lettering being dark grey on a black background.
I like the feel of the remote control. It has a microphone for voice control which of course doesn’t help if you’re using the Roku box. A button labelled “TV” can be set to an input source which is handy; it would be nice if some of the other buttons could be programmed. (I don't find having buttons labelled Google Play and Netflix helpful.) Many buttons such as Audio and Subtitle do nothing except to display at the bottom of the screen the playback location -- the same as the Play buttons (pause/forward/back) do. These latter buttons are small and crowded together. They are hard to find quickly and it is too easy to hit the wrong one, for example hitting the rewind and going to beginning of show instead of going back 10 seconds.
If you hunt on the web site there are a couple of manuals that explain what some of the buttons on the remote that don’t do anything are supposed to do. The manual, though, turns out to not to be specific to the A1E but covers a range of models. (It talks about 3D features for example which are not on the A1E.) It also mentions things like “Opera TV” that doesn’t seem to be included or available either.
The default screen saver displays the time in the lower right hand corner, always in the same place. If the purpose is to prevent burn-in then always displaying the colon in the same place is pretty stupid.
Amazing hardware, shame about the software.

Awesome picture and amazing black levels.

164 cm (65") 17/05/2018 by Thalazy (USA)Verified Purchaser Verified

Great television. The black levels are outstanding. The picture quality is amazing. The best available anywhere. The tv delivers an awesome HDR picture. It’s not going to deliver the brightness of a Z9D but with its only blacks it’s more than gives you an outstanding HDR image. The sound is breathtaking. The accustic surface works and is some of the best sound on a tv. Love the design and the tilt of the screen doesn’t even affect the picture.

Great Picture & Sound but turns on by itself !

139 cm (55") 14/05/2018 by Daniel58 (USA)Verified Purchaser Verified

We've had this TV for a little over 6 months now, it has a fantasic picture and sound, however after the last software update the TV will turn itself on in the middle of the night. Spoke to Sony and they have no answers. Hope the next software update cures this.

Excellent Product

164 cm (65") 11/05/2018 by ken12819 (USA)Verified Purchaser Verified

I bought this in April 2018 and we are very pleased with the installation work and the resultant TV performance - brilliant color, excellent motion (we like sports!), outstanding viewing angle performance. Nit - the registration web site would not recognize our model number (XBR65A8F). It insisted that we call it a XBR65A1E.

Can't control TV with non Sony receiver

A1E 10/05/2018 by Thefisherman123 (USA)

I just bought a Sony XBR65A1E 65-Inch 4K Ultra HD Smart BRAVIA OLED TV. After setting up the T.V. I hooked up my Yamaha 4K surround sound receiver. You can't control the TV with the receiver remote or the receiver with the T.V. the remote. The Yamaha receiver worked great with the Samsung T.V. that I had before. I only needed one remote to control the T.V., receiver and blueray player. I can't get the the cable box to play through the receiver so I had to hook the cable box directly to the T.V. I can only use the surround sound with the cable with an optical cable. If I new that I couldn't pare a non Sony receiver with this T.V. I would have never bought this T.V. The picture is great on this T.V. but I have to use different remotes to control the receiver, blueray, cable box and T.V. again. It's a big step backwards. The salespeople at the electronics store should be informed that you need a Sony 4k surround sound receiver to control your A.V. system. I'm very sorry to write such a negative review of this T.V. because I've been a fan of Sony products for many years.

Great picture quality!

I'm blown away by the upcoverting of 1080i U-VERSE signal. Many shows look like they are blu-ray quality. UHD blu-ray looks amazing and 1080p blu-ray looks awesome as well. The sound is better than any tv I have heard, except Sony X930C my previous tv. I wish it was brighter but I don't even notice after watching for a little while. Color is awesome as well as the perfect blacks. I'm getting mine calibrated in a couple of weeks. Can't wait to see it look even better.

Support and policy not good

164 cm (65") 28/04/2018 by Scott1235 (USA)

Sent a lot on a tv only to find a bright blue LED in middle of set. Only had set for 10 days and Sony wouldn't do anything about it. Calling it normal. It's not. And it should have been detected by them. Returned set.

The best picture I have ever experienced

I feel like I am watching movies for the first time all over again. The colors are superb and the sound is amazing. I have been re watching most of the Marvel movies leading up to the Avengers Infinity war release. It is amazing on how much more detail these movies have.
I was not expecting the TV to make the movies appear to have depth like it does. Because of the individual lit pixels and the huge range of colors/contrast the picture looks like it has depth. I cant explain it go see it for yourslef.

Expensive But Worth It-No Regrets

A1E 17/04/2018 by Lynn P (Canada)

I got this Sony OLED last week. Wow! The design is beautiful. The picture is outstanding. The sound is so good I don't need a sound bar. I did turn the light sensor on as I found the picture a bit dark. I have no issues with the Sony remote. I find navigating the TV is so easy-I was worried about that. I highly recommend the Sony OLED.

Great TV !!!!

A1E 15/04/2018 by scott2017 (USA)

I have had the Sony A1E for almost a year now. It is a great TV the OLED panel is fantastic, Sony has done a great job integration of the panel into their own technology, mainly the processor and the android software which I personally prefer of the LG web OS 3.5. The color, contrast, and clarity of the TV is fantastic hands down one of the best looking TV's I have ever seen. As noted by other reviewer's the brightness is not fantastic but OLED is by its nature a darker room TV, so as long as you don't put it in direct sunlight it is awesome. The connectivity is great, has an on-board Ethernet port and the WiFi receiver on the device does support AC WiFi. I have had zero WiFi problems or buffering issues, to those that have I would check your own router and modem first, the WiFi card on this TV is great. The stand is sort of dumb on it, it tilts back but after a short time you no longer notice the tilt the picture distracts you from it. I did not use the built in stand for very long though so I have no comment on the "bend effect" that some people say occur over time. I have it mounted using a stand. The sound is unique and sounds pretty good, not much base though, after a week or so I upgraded and got a nice sound bar. The only real negative I have is I think Sony could have done a better job on the remote for such an expensive TV, though I like the Sony software the best I think Samsung and LG do better on making premium remotes.
One thing to note to certain people, as with all OLED panel devices a certain amount of burn in can occur. In almost a year of solid use I have not experienced any burn in, but as I am aware of the effect I make special effort not to leave anything paused or any show that has a constant symbol or object that does not vanish, like the ticker on certain television news shows.

It works pretty good.

139 cm (55") 29/03/2018 by Monroe2 (USA)Verified Purchaser Verified

There was an issue about Wi-Fi connections, which are resolved. It’s still loses connection more often than I would like but it is better. The picture still crumbles on occasion. But the sound is good and when everything is working just right, the picture is unbelievable! The remote seem to be an issue at times, every station seems to use a different command to navigate, kind of a pain, but I can handle it.

Unbelievable!

Unbelievable! With a previous 4K HDR LED TV I spent about three days getting the settings right. On this Sony OLED, I just turned it on, dropped my jaw and admired the picture quality. It is truly unbelievable. I am thrilled with th TV. Good job Sony!

SONY OLED great build and quality

164 cm (65") 09/03/2018 by Geek Dad (USA)Verified Purchaser Verified

So my 1st tv was and still working is the Pioneer Elite Kuro. I've been waiting for the OLEDs to come out. I waited for Sony because of their processing chip. I bought my 1st OLED A1E last fall and just was very impressed with it. So impressed I had to buy a second one for another room. TV is great and the latest firmware gives you "internal" Dolby Vision.

The Best TV I've Ever Purchased Bar None!

As the title of the review suggest, this is by far, the best TV I've ever purchased in terms of picture quality (it's an OLED afterall), innovation (the whole screen is the speaker!) and features (HDR, Android apps, etc). The TV is on the expensive side but this is a high-end TV from Sony. If you can afford it, this TV is a must!

Excellent TV with great picture

I bought this to replace a 10 year old Pioneer Kuro and the picture rivals the best plasma tv I have seen. The picture is outstanding on satellite programming and even better on 4K UHD. 1080P movies are upscaled and look excellent. Have started to watch some older movies just to enjoy the picture.

BUYER BE WARNED Lifting on one side

A1E 02/03/2018 by Cautiousbuyer (USA)

Delivered on 1/7/2018. I noticed the frame is lifting up leaving a gap from the bottom. If a light is on in a darkened room the light can be clearly be seen from underneath the TV. The five degree lean back is a flawed design, this TV is too heavy for such a design and thus is putting undo stress on the frame. Best looking TV yet but may destroy itself by its flawed design.

Great Picture Quality, Horrible Android TV.

A1E 01/03/2018 by pduncan1963 (USA)

I have to say that this has the picture on this television is outstanding. Great pure blacks, great color, great contrast. But that is where my praises end.
I have to say the Android operating system used Sony uses to run this thing is horrible. When scrolling through the menu, there is at least a 2 second lag from the button push to action on the screen. Adjusting volume and changing the channel with the built in tuner give the same horrible lag. The Netflix, Amazon and HBO Go apps all respond slowly and buffer way too often when playing 4K video (as compared to Apple TV side by side.)
The horrible Android TV operating system really really tempers the enjoyment of the stellar picture quality. It's really a shame. I wanted to love this television. The picture, yes.... .everything else. Big fat NOPE.

Beautiful TV at Its Best

Wow! We were impressed when we saw this product in our store, but even more so when it was delivered and set up. When you actually watch 4K content, the color and detail are so vivid and realistic as if you are right there! Plus all of the smart TV features, such as easy access to Netflix, Amazon, etc., are so easy to access; with just pressing "Home" on the remote, you are there! Nothing complicated at all. Works great with our cable; absolutely the best television we have owned so far, and we have another Sony in our home! The acoustic sound is a feature we didn't really research, but it is another plus; the sound comes right off the screen instead of the speakers. We have ours just sitting on our console, and it looks great, almost as if on an easel. It has been great watching the Winter Olympics!

Amazing OLED TV

139 cm (55") 22/02/2018 by htb56 (USA)Verified Purchaser Verified

I've been using the 55” for about two months now after trying out the LG for about a month, and short of having a little faster OS, I couldn’t be any happier. When Sony updated the software last month to Dolby Vision the views were startling.

TV rates a full 10; software -2; service 5

Television is awesome. Software problem came with downloading, I wanted to get Freeflix on my system. I was on the "chat line" for 40 minutes and hung up due to lack of knowledge by the "chatter". I would have to execute about 20 -25 steps to download this program. This is ridiculous. Why cannot this be down with 3 steps; write a program someone?? This should be simple; if you can articulate all of these steps, then you can write a program for all of these steps. There are several "how to" programs on Youtube but none fit the Bravia oled; the screens they say should appear after the first 10 or 12 steps, are not there...they might be on an earlier version or on some other manufacturers product. So after attempting 3 of these "how to" videos, I went to Sony direct...waste of time. It took 20 minutes to explain what I was after. Still do not have Freeflix (is this because it is a free movie site and Sony wants kick backs, royalties, or commissions from the pay per view downloads). Probably, because they were unable or maybe unwilling to help. I have spent 4 hours on this and still am at square one. Now, if Sony reads these reviews, they should contact me.

Years of waiting worth it!

After waiting many years for Sony to bring out their OLED it finally went to market and was absolutely worth the wait. The picture is so shockingly stunning it is actually better than looking out of a window. It is so precise it gives you the impression of depth of field. If you have not had an opportunity to watch it, imagine you have an old Nikon camera with Kodachrome film. That is the picture you have and it is unreal. Upscaling of old films is amazing. Still amazed!! One other surprise. The tripod like configuration at first made little sense to me until we realized there is NO reflection of room lighting! The slight backward tilt of the glossy screen reflects and room light upward and the result is a perfect screen without reflection. Amazing!! The sound is perfectly adequate for normal viewing, but for theater quality a small to medium sound bar is perfect,

Amazing TV, so so GUI, Terrible remote

164 cm (65") 19/02/2018 by EchoMike (USA)Verified Purchaser Verified

I’ve had this TV for a month now and I really love it. The picture and built in sound quality is everything you could ask for, absolutely no complaints. I recommend applying picture settings prescribed by consumer reports in their review of this product.
It might not be fair to knock the TV down 1 star for the terrible remote, especially considering that most TV remotes are lousy. Given the price however, this is something Sony should get right. The remote has way too many buttons, nearly all are non-intuitive, and there’s no good reference for what you can really get out of each of the buttons. Accessing the built-in web apps is every bit as cumbersome as the remote. Sony should go for simplicity in both the UI and the remote.
Those minor complaints aside I love this TV. We’re not that surround sound and sound bar type family for our day to day viewing so I like good build in sound. This TV’s sound quality is every bit as good and probably even better that my old Panasonic Plamsa from 2008. That TV was amazing, but the picture on this Sony blows it away!
I also really like the easel mount. I wasn’t sure at first, but it is extremely stable, and looks very clean from all angles sitting on our tv stand!

Sweet BUT

139 cm (55") 13/02/2018 by Rhettlr (USA)Verified Purchaser Verified

While documentation indicates the unit likes all types of video files, in fact, it doesn’t. It’s loaded with ”bloatware,” all kinds of apps that are impossible to remove. If you use the DirecTV function, be prepared to update all of your equipment if you have been a customer for more than a year and a $50 charge for DirecTV to add your new TV. Now, don’t misunderstand, I love this TV. The picture is fabulous; it’s the other stuff that will bum you out.

Terrific Sony A1E OLED TV!

My new Sony A1E is about 3 weeks old now and is proving to be an excellent choice already. Great picture & sound but I am going to get a new receiver for my Bose surround speakers. What I really would like to know now is how to set up Google Home to work with the new TV!!

I always updating my tvs. So far best tv ever.

A1E 07/02/2018 by Deivy84 (USA)

Since I was a kid my father taught me about technology and how good was a sony brand, he was right since I got my first sony bravia I didnt stop buying this fabulous brand, never had any issue with one of the I purchased, im happy with this new OLED, Im so happy an excited, this tv is beautiful.

Clarity unreal in sunlit room

Purchased for a family room with a wall of solid windows. We could not watch TV shows during the day that featured any type of dark viewing. The OLED has changed our ability to view these TV shows on an entire new level. Although the price point is a bit steep, it is well worth the money. The colors are vibrant, we can see the picture from any angle. Our only regret is that we did not purchase it sooner.

Absolutely awesome

Only had this set up for a day but the picture is just awesome. Even upscaling from 720 looks good. Watched a 4k DVD and a 4k streamed movie. It was like being here. My only grievance was the easel design of the stand. Didn't like.

Amazing Picture!!

A1E 01/02/2018 by Baronw (USA)

I tried the other TV's (LG OLED, Vizio E Series, Bravia x940e and now A1) and while each had some benefits, they each had a drawback. The LG seemed to stutter just a little in my games on my ps4, and they almost all suffered when watching non hd tv (standard broadcast tv and older movies). I took a jump drive of various older tv shows and movies and plugged it in to each tv in the store and it was immediately visible. The Bravia did a great job upscaling the older tv but had a problem with the viewing angle. As long as you were right in front of it, it looked great. But go to the right and left and it dramatically lost quality of the image. I finally gave the A1E a try and have never looked back. I have never been more impressed than I have with this tv. The only drawback is a minor one. It uses a "Kickstand" which causes the tv to not sit straight but lean back at an angle, like an ipad. Not noticeable, but something to be aware of. Again, I can't brag on this TV enough. It shows older shows and movies as brilliantly as 1080p films, and the 4k is amazing.

Excellent tv but...

A1E 24/01/2018 by Elias1234 (USA)

Beautiful. Design on back makes mounting difficult. But it says Dolby vision but it is not. Any hdmi connected device will NOT be supported. Sony has been unclear if they will or when. I am not happy as are many who bought oled TVs with it clearly marking it supporting Dolby vision.

Outstanding picture and sound!

139 cm (55") 24/01/2018 by CntrlCstr (USA)Verified Purchaser Verified

I struggled with the decision to buy this TV vs. the competition (LG) because of the price difference since I consider myself a value conscious buyer. The factor that tipped the balance in favor of the SONY was their super fast X1 processor and superior upscaling. Now that I've been using the set for about a month I'm really happy I spent the extra $.
This set is truly remarkable! Amazing colors, incredible resolution, out of this universe sound and seamless motion display. I'm a soccer fan and it's been a bit difficult to focus on the games because the picture is so glorious I get distracted by the details. When first released some reviewers complained about android being slow on this unit but I haven't had that problem so I suspect Sony fixed that problem.
I could go on and on about this TV and how happy I am but I think you get the idea. If you enjoy the experience provided by superior technology in the medium as much as the content you have to give this product an honest evaluation. You won't be sorry.

Amazing Clarity in Picture

This TV is amazing! The picture quality is top of the line. Installation was relatively easy. Only negative would be the remote control. Still adjusting to it. Not as current in it's abilities as I would have expected.